10 Must-See Shawn Michaels Royal Rumble Performances

9. 1993 - Vs Marty Jannetty

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Promoted as one of the top matches underneath the Rumble itself, Michaels' emotional rivalry with former Rockers tag partner Marty Jannetty was a high-pressure test for the 'Heartbreak Kid' in the first major defence of his Intercontinental Title.

With a nearly a year having passed since arguably the most famous heel turn in WWE history, Jannetty returned seeking vengeance for Shawn's brutal Barber Shop assault, surprising him in an attack which inadvertently saw Sensational Sherri smashed in the face with a mirror thanks to Michaels' panicked escape.

Since that powerful segment, Sherri had been absent from WWE TV, but advised she would stand in a neutral corner between her former love interest and the man who had accidentally wrapped a mirror around her head.

Mastering the soap opera elements of the plot and the in-ring heavy lifting, Michaels aped his childhood hero Ric Flair, as Jannetty appeared lethargic and unmotivated in what was supposed to be the conclusion to a blood feud.

Dramatically over-selling all of Jannetty's limp offence and performing fabulously as Sherri's abusive ex-boyfriend douchebag in the closing moments of the match, Michaels put in one of his strongest all-round performances to date, highlighting how vital he'd suddenly become to WWE's vastly changing landscape.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett